Fiat 500 latest recruit to NSW Police

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By Matt Brogan | January 08th, 2009

New South Wales Police have adopted a Fiat 500 in to the force with what is possibly Australia’s smallest yet most visible police car.

The baby Fiat is now doing the rounds with Sydney’s Leichhardt Police Station.

“When it comes to visibility, the Fiat 500 has proven to be an exceptional car, attracting attention and interest like no other car we have used,” said Superintendent Wayne Cox, the Leichhardt Local Area Commander. “With its primary role as providing a talking point from which we can discuss road safety and break down any barriers that may exist, the Bambino Police Car has attracted interest from all areas and all age groups.”

“Despite being marked up as a police vehicle, we don’t use the Fiat for normal police work,” said Supt Cox. “The Fiat is used for community policing, it’s a great way of building rapport between young people and police and certainly helps us get our safe driving messages through to car enthusiasts. The Fiat frees up normal police cars so they can be out on the roads, not only helping to save lives but also helping to fight crime.”

Interestingly as Australia’s most economical car, the Fiat 500 JTD police car is also saving the force some money.

“We are delighted to be able to assist Australian police forces with the provision of cars for their road safety and crime prevention work,” says Andrei Zaitzev, General Manager for Fiat in Australia. “We see this as practical and highly cost effective way that we can play our role in a safer community for everyone. Our cars assist the police in making contact with a wide range of people so they can discuss and offer help with road safety and crime prevention, as well as providing the practical assistance of transport. We believe that this is a very positive role that we can play in the community.”

http://caradvice.com.au anthony

Good PR would be to fit this baby out with an Espresso machine and serve coffee to the locals.
Wheelnut

Must be some form of punishment to any officers that annoy their seargents or something.. they are banned from driving the SS Commodore Patrol Car and have to drive the “Fart In A Taxi” for a week or 2.
Wheelnut

I’d say it would attract a fair bit of attention… P platers would pull up next to it at the lights and know that even their Hyundai Excel could beat it [Finally]. Whereas if it was a normal cop car they wouldn’t stand a chance.

I wonder if the NSW Police have thought of going to the other extreme and having a New Nissan GT-R patrol car?
MisterTwo

Coffee AND donuts.
Devil666

WHY ARE MY TAX DOLLARS BUYING MORE COP CARS, ESPECIALLY REDUNDANT ONES THAT ARE NO USE IN PURSUIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bret

Devil, who said that they actually piad for it? If it’s typical of these promo cars they are usually short term loaners.
Jimbo

Very cool, and a very clever PR idea. Makes people take notice and it is far better for the environment than the Hummer cop cars.

And Wheelnut, I would rather be driving around town in a cool and agile little Fiat 500 than a Conformadore fuel waster. As a pursuit car fair enough, but just patrolling around town, what a waste of fuel.
http://skyline The Salesman

Its the Wiggles police. They should have guns that shoot bubbles and a wacky siren.
Don’t forget the Benny Hin music has to play when you chase those crims.
I love it, young people normally see police as un approachable. My boys are scared of police, i don’t know why but they hide when they see them. It’s like a game. I am sure if they saw police in a funny little car that would change. Well done for thinking outside the square.
Jimbo

Oh and an Abarth 500 would be even better…..Then the P plater in the Excel would be in real trouble!
Glenn

Great time to conduct a crime spree in Leichhardt and drive away can just see this little bag of pus trying to chase down an SS or XR8…… what a wank should have a couple of little noddy horns on the side would be embarrased if i was given the gig to drive this thing around.
The Original Tom

It seems some people are missing the point or didn’t read the text. This is a community policing car, like they already use Corollas and such for. It isn’t for normal police work.

My question to the NSW police force is HOW this car actually “helps us get our safe driving messages through to car enthusiasts”.

Abarth 500 might do the trick for building rapport, but how this could possibly help them get their message across is beyond me and they’ve said this on more than one occasion.
Frontman

Okay the “fix it again tony” is not what I had in mind, but if the respective forces had small hi vis cars running around (I am led to believe you could buy 3 Yaris, Mazda 2′s etc for one Fitted out Qld Camera Van) then they WOULD have a positive effect on road behaviour. Lets face it. how many of us see a car ahead that looks like a police car, even an unmarked car and start driving by the book? Answer everyone.
As to the police chases, with 3 times the amount of vehicles on the road, and effective radio’s I still think they would catch the need for speed crowd.
Jimbo

LOL Glenn, you sound like a real winner. I can understand your embarrassment, as you can’t over compensate for what you’re lacking in such a small car!

The Original Tom, is right it is for community Police work, a role that it is ideally suited. The whole idea is to get people to notice the Police. The more aware the public is about the Police and their presence in the community the safer we will all be.

However, anyone who calls them self a car enthusiast and doesn’t think the 500 is a cracking good fun car needs their head checked.
JEYKL & HYDE

couldn’t be worse than a mits lancer or 380…
Alex

Wheelnut, why would it be a punishment to drive this car? It’s great fun even in diesel and I think it would out handle an SS Commodre too considering the SS is a rather horrible car. I’d say it would be a reward if anything because as Tom wrote, the alternative is probably a Corolla.
The Orignal Tom is right though, it’s not as if it’s meant to be chasing Commodores at two o’clock on the morning. There should be more.
Menzes

it’s a great way of building rapport between young people.Yea young gay people maybe.
Wheelnut

Alex – I said it as a Joke. because when I was an Assistant Motor Vehicle Manager for a NSW Government Department we had a Prius which we often said to staff members they would be forced to drive next time they wanted to borrow a car – if they didn’t abide by our procedures or complete the log books properly etc.

We said it because there were a number of staff members who hated because they didn’t think it had enough space comfort or power.. or was just ot complicated for them.
Wheelnut

Alex: The FIAT might be able to out-handle a Commodore particulalrly if the road was twisty [just as the minis did against the GTs at Bathurst].
Unfrotunately though; there aren’t that many windy roads around inner sydney as there are in the Blue Mountains or down the South Coast.

However; on a straight bit of road there is no way it would be able to keep up with a V8…. but a WRX or an EVO would

Mind you for the past couple of years the NSW Police have had a number of trendy “niche” ars such as this on a trail basis including Impreza WRXs and Lotus Exiges.. to assess their suitability as an alternative patrol car – as yet they haven’t found one..

Although there is one good thing about using the Fiat because of its micro-size they wouldn’t need such a big bush or sign to hide behind when they’re using a radar as they would with a SS Commodore
Wheelnut

Sure the Fiat might not be meant to be used in a chase However; there may be the odd occassion where the FIAT is the only car left at the station to respond to an incident or that its the one that is the closest to the scene of the crime or to offer assistance etc

And after seeing the Celebrity race at the Aussie F1 last year; the Fiat would be able to take part in a reasonably high speed chase.. that is of course if the suspects were in another Fiat..

BTW; The cops have also used Smart Roadsters as well
Cupid Stunt

Aaawww how cute!
Name (required)

bahahahahahahaha i wonder if they will have a fiat 500 highway patrol car bahahahahaha dam i could proberly ride my push bike faster then that a holden might b able to beat that lol
Old CarAdvice Reader

Ok as long as they just have one and not replace their Falcodores for them.
Andrew M

even the people pointing out what this car is used for dont understand its use.

This car cant be used to respond to even call outs.

its to simply take flyers etc around to schools and tell every one not to break the law.
they have implemented this to save a real police car being utilised/tied up for such tasks.

Its not fitted with lights and sirens, and i highly doubt its fitted with the computering and communication needs of an on duty police officer
Cupid Stunt

Hate to say it andrew but whats that blue thing on the roof?
Andrew M

Cupid,
thats for the 12 oclock clown show at the mall
Andrew M

Its also got a dash light, I know.

this must come fresh from your land, look at the plate. ha ha ha
certainly not standard squad car rego.

(and yes i know its a real Aussie rego plate)
Duck

I’m not shovinest (not spelt right, I know!) but should’nt Aussie cop’s buy Aussie cars all the time to help our local car manufactures?

Not some small Poxy Italian Car!!!!!!!!!!!!
Duck

^^^^^^They do most of the time but, what about all the time?

What I don’t understand (and dislike) to is the Toyota Aurion Cop car’s. What do the Police need a fair share of every car? Do they really?
Andrew M

Duck,
in instances such as this, the police force is gifted the vehicle.

they wont pay for it, so in getting it for nothing helps the “Aussie” tax payer as money can be spent on more worthwhile things
Mitchell Oke

Haha, the Italian police get top of the line Lamborghini’s for their show off police cars, we get bottom rung Fiat 500s, Lol!!
Andrew M

Duck,
No they dont need a share of every car, they buy what fills their needs and comes with an attractive price tag
Duck

^^^^^^And look at the small (poxy)…………….very small siren light! You’d be lucky to hear it 10 METRES AWAY!

And isn’t it meant to be red and blue? Not just blue?!?!!!!!!!
andre

“when I was an Assistant Motor Vehicle Manager for a NSW Government Department………”
….and when IIIIIIII grow up I want to be a superhero.
Wheelnut, you are always compensating for something.
Wheelnut

No Andre – I am just stating what I have done in the past and what experiences I have had with various makes and models of cars.
Everyone on this site does it; its how people form an opinion as to what they think about a particular make or model of car.
That is those who don’t take whatever Toyota or whoever tells them about cars as gospel…. but actually go out and drive a wide range of cars as they can – for themselves
Andrew M

Duck,
whats a “siren light”?